TL;DR: Powerful and spicy seitan protein filling to stuff in tacos, burritos, etc.
Hail seitan! (Shout out to the Vegan Black Metal Chef) But yeah, as far as I’m concerned seitan is royalty among meatless protein sources. It’s got the highest ratio of protein to calories of any meatless protein that I’m aware of (75g protein per 100g!), while also being low in carbs and fats. In addition, it’s extremely versatile and works great in all kinds of dishes. Whether diced up in a hearty chili, thrown on the grill, or marinated and stir fried, seitan is one of my go-to protein sources.
That said, if you have celiac or gluten intolerance, or aren’t into meat-like textures, this might not be your thing.
While I love seitan, like many of its meatless protein brethren it can be pretty damn bland on its own. It really deserves to be dressed up with other flavors. With that in mind, this recipe takes basic store-bought seitan and amps it up with onions, garlic, chilis, spices, and punch of soy sauce umami. The result is a skillet of high protein, bold flavored, spicy seitan that you can use to make tacos, burritos, bowls, or whatever else you choose. Admission: many late nights concluded with me stumbling into my apartment and chowing on these leftovers out of a rubbermaid container. #noregrets
The Process: Sauté all the things
Gather all the ingredients.
Next, sauté onions till translucent and browned on the edges. Add garlic, green chilies and soy sauce and cook for a couple of mins.
Next, add cumin powder and chipotles and cook for a couple more mins
Stir in the seitan and sauté until browned on the edges. And finally, squeeze in lemon juice and it’s ready to go. Eat em however, but I will say this: tacos are life. Oh, and this goes really nicely with some good ol’ salsa verde.
Spicy Seitan Skillet Recipe (Taco Filling)
Ingredients
- 1 package 8 oz store-bought seitan strips (e.g., Upton's Seitan)
The Aromatics & Flavor Base
- 1 medium white onion sliced or diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 green chilies jalapeño or serrano, sliced
- 1 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce from a can, such as La Costeña Chipotles, chopped
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 2 tsp soy sauce e.g., San-J Organic Shoyu
For Cooking
- 1 Tbsp grapeseed oil or neutral cooking oil
To Finish
- Juice of 1 lime or lemon
Instructions
- Gather your ingredients. Prep all your ingredients before you start: slice the onion, mince the garlic, slice the chilies, and measure out your cumin and soy sauce.
- Sauté the onions. Heat grapeseed oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are translucent and browned on the edges — about 5–7 minutes.
- Add garlic, green chilies, and soy sauce. Add the minced garlic, sliced green chilies, and soy sauce to the skillet. Stir to combine and cook for 2 minutes, allowing the garlic to soften and the soy sauce to reduce slightly.
- Add cumin and chipotles. Stir in the cumin powder and chopped chipotles in adobo. Cook for another 2 minutes, letting the spices bloom and the chipotle fully meld into the mix.
- Add the seitan and sauté. Add the seitan strips to the skillet. Stir everything together well and sauté until the seitan is heated through and browned on the edges — about 4–5 minutes. This is where the magic happens: the edges will get a little caramelized and the seitan will soak up all the bold flavors.
- Finish with citrus. Squeeze the juice of one lime (or lemon) over the skillet, stir once more, and remove from heat.
- Serve. Use as a filling for tacos, burritos, bowls, or however you like. Tacos are life. Highly recommended with salsa verde on the side.
Notes
- Seitan brand: The post uses Upton’s Seitan Strips (18g protein per serving). Any store-bought or homemade seitan strips or cubes will work.
- Soy sauce: San-J Organic Shoyu is used in the original recipe — a tamari-style shoyu is a great choice. Use low-sodium if desired.
- Heat level: The recipe uses both green chilies (fresh) and chipotle in adobo (smoked). Adjust quantities of each to dial up or down the heat and smokiness.
- Grapeseed oil: A neutral, high-smoke-point oil is ideal here. Avocado oil also works well.
- Citrus: Lime or lemon both work — use whichever you prefer.
- Serving suggestion: Pairs beautifully with homemade salsa verde (roasted tomatillo salsa).
- Leftovers: This keeps great in the fridge for 3–4 days and reheats well in a skillet. Reportedly also excellent cold from a Tupperware container at 2am.
- Gluten-free? Seitan is wheat gluten — skip it and try jackfruit or a hearty mushroom instead.